The moment the Mithril Pendant touched Ryan's forehead, it clung to his skin as if glued, completely immovable.

  Evelyn immediately channeled her pure magic, lightly tapping the Mithril Pendant with her fingertip to activate the Elder Mage-level magic contained within.

  Ryan instantly felt a warm energy, originating from the same source as his own magic, slowly dissolving the binding magic that the Grand Elders had sealed in his magic core.

  When the two Elder Mage-level magics met, they did not clash. Instead, they gradually merged and then slowly dissipated, finally leaving his magic core entirely.

  The sense of confinement vanished instantly. The blocked magical meridians reopened, and Ryan could clearly feel that his magic was once again under his full control.

  At this moment, he had fully regained his Ninth-tier Senior Mage strength, with his magic flowing even more smoothly than before.

  The Mithril Pendant on Ryan's forehead had completed its unsealing mission and immediately shattered into several pieces, falling onto the bed before dissolving into tiny points of blue light.

  "This Spatial Storage Ring contains a large cross-domain teleportation array.

  I have already calibrated the coordinates in advance. Once you channel your magic into it, it will activate and transport you directly back to South Territory," Evelyn said.

  The shyness and stiffness in her demeanor had eased considerably. Her voice still carried a trace of subtle awkwardness, but if one did not listen carefully, it would go unnoticed.

  She had prepared this teleportation array well in advance, fearing that the Grand Elders would not let matters rest and might use force to capture Ryan in secret.

  With this array, he could leave Glacial Arcana Academy safely.

  "You can… go now," Evelyn said, her gaze fixed on Ryan, eyes closed as he felt the flow of magic within his body.

  This simple sentence had taken her several seconds of hesitation to utter, and her tone carried a faint reluctance she herself barely noticed.

  "Mm." Ryan opened his eyes and replied. He channeled magic into the Spatial Storage Ring and activated the teleportation array.

  The array slowly unfolded, radiating a faint magical glow.

  The two of them sat there on the bed, gazing at each other across the activating teleportation array.

  The room was filled only with the soft humming of the array. Neither spoke again, and the air was heavy with the sorrow of parting.

  As the runes of the teleportation array spun faster and faster and the teleportation glow grew ever more intense, Ryan suddenly craned his neck.

  Taking advantage of the last moment, he quickly pressed a gentle kiss onto Evelyn's crimson lips.

  The hum of the teleportation array soared sharply. A blinding light shot upward, accompanied by a strange distortion of space, and Ryan's figure was instantly engulfed, vanishing from Evelyn's sight.

  By the bedside, only Evelyn remained, sitting in a daze, maintaining the same posture, frozen in place for a long time.

  After what felt like an eternity, she slowly lifted her delicate fingers and gently touched her lips, still warm from Ryan's kiss, her gaze vacant as it lingered on the spot where he had disappeared.

  Her heart was filled with melancholy. This entanglement, born from an accident, had ended in parting. She silently wished him safety in this final life. As for his Grand Magus potential, if it was missed, then it was missed.

  If the three Grand Elders did not know how to cherish him, she no longer needed to force the matter.

  Evelyn drew in a deep breath and stood up, ready to close the door, her gaze finally leaving the direction of Ryan's departure.

  But as she straightened, she froze, her eyes instinctively drawn to the wall.

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  The Edelweiss Frost that had been carefully arranged now drooped lifelessly, petals dull and lacking the brilliance they had once held.

  As if sensing Evelyn's gaze, a muffled bang echoed, and all the Edelweiss Frost in the room exploded at once, shattering into countless crystal fragments.

  In an instant, Evelyn was surrounded by a sea of shattered Edelweiss Frost petals.

  The tiny fragments drifted slowly through the air, covering the table and the bed, finally falling gently to the floor.

  The moment they touched the ground, they transformed into faint white streams of light, gradually dissipating before Evelyn's eyes, as if they had never existed.

  Instinctively, Evelyn reached out with her right hand, hoping to catch some of the fragments, but her fingers passed right through the glimmering shards.

  They were like illusions, entirely intangible.

  Just like the bond between her and Ryan, it had ultimately slipped away, impossible to reclaim, like the dispersed fragments of Edelweiss Frost.

  Only the table of grapes Ryan had left remained untouched, neatly arranged in the plate. Their vivid colors stood out sharply in the empty room, piercing Evelyn's eyes.

  In just a few seconds, the room that had once been warm and romantic, adorned with Edelweiss Frost, returned to emptiness, leaving only the cold air flowing silently.

  The calls of"Evelyn" that had once carried dependence would likely never be heard again.

  Evelyn slowly walked to the table, letting a faint glow of magic flow from her fingertips. With a gentle wave, she straightened the chair that had been knocked over.

  Then she carefully collected all the grapes into her spiritual domain space.

  "Especially the large, round grapes. She placed all of them into an exquisite box inscribed with preservation runes, handling them with utmost care and storing them safely."

  Once everything was done, the room returned to the way it had been when she lived alone.

  Cold, quiet, lifeless, with only the falling snow outside silently telling the story of a lonely farewell.

  Inside the void teleportation path, Ryan's figure hovered steadily in the core glow of the teleportation array.

  He finally had a moment to check the new tasks Grimoire had sent him earlier. With all the running around before, he hadn't had the chance to look closely.

  【Main Quest One: Win over Evelyn. Reward: Invincible magic rank.】

  【Main Quest Two: Collect the nine fragments of the Soulweaver's Pendant. Reward: Soulforge.】

  【Warning: This task affects the host's survival. Side Quest One: Destroy the God Ascension Altars scattered across the Esoth Continent. Each altar destroyed grants 500000 Origin Value. Time limit: One thousand years.】

  【Warning: This task affects the host's survival. Main Quest Two: Stop Balthazar of the Demi-God Realm on the Esoth Continent from using the lives of the entire continent as sacrifices to power the God Ascension Altars. Reward: Nine Arcane Arts. Time limit: One thousand years.】

  Ryan read through the list line by line, completely dumbfounded, breaking out in a cold sweat.

  "This Balthazar… is he the last remaining Grand Magus on the Esoth Continent? And his magic rank has already reached Demi-God Realm level?" Ryan demanded in his mind to Grimoire.

  The instant he got a confirmed answer, he felt like slapping Balthazar on the spot.

  A perfectly good Grand Magus, yet he chooses to mess around trying to ascend to godhood. And he's using the lives of the entire continent as sacrifices to forcibly open an interdimensional path to divinity! This old Balthazar must have let his mind be corroded by magic, he's completely insane!

  Ryan raged silently at Balthazar, fury threatening to burst out of his chest. This isn't a task, it's practically pushing him straight toward a death trap!

  【Detected: This magical world consists of the main continent and countless subordinate small worlds.】

  【The host currently has two options: Option one, immediately flee to a small world for refuge; Option two, kill the dark mage Balthazar and end the God Ascension Altar plan.】

  "Wait! You said he's a dark mage?" Ryan's voice shot up, filled with disbelief.

  【Detection confirmed. Balthazar is a dark mage. He follows the path of dark magic to forcibly ascend, having survived sixteen Judgments of Thunder. He is recognized as one of the most ruthless figures in the continent's history.】

  "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" Ryan deflated instantly, slumping in the glow of the teleportation array, wailing silently in his mind,"I'll just hide in some deserted small world and wait to die!"

  According to the historical records of magic on the continent that Ryan had studied, over millions of years, only two Grand Magi had ever successfully ascended by taking the dark magic path. This Balthazar could very well be one of them.

  Legend says that hundreds of thousands of years ago, this dark mage emerged suddenly, leaving rivers of blood in his wake. Lawful mages cowered before him, and even the Headmasters of the major magic academies dared not show their faces.

  At that time, dark mages held the authority on the continent, and lawful magic was treated as the hunted"evil magic." Whoever had the stronger fist dictated the rules, whoever was stronger controlled the world.

  It wasn't until this dark mage successfully ascended to Grand Magus that he suddenly disappeared, never to interfere with the world again.

  It was precisely because of his disappearance that lawful mages could slowly regroup, launching a sweeping massacre of dark mages, wiping out their remnants and finally venting centuries of accumulated rage.

  To this day, lawful magic holds absolute power on the continent, with major magic academies established everywhere. The continent's order is stable, far safer than it was tens of thousands of years ago.

  Yet who could have imagined he was still alive, planning such a wildly sacrificial scheme!

  【Host, do not despair. It is recommended to pursue Evelyn as soon as possible to gain invincible magic rank.】

  【Once achieved, the host can punch through the strongest powers on the main continent, crush subordinate small worlds underfoot, sweep through countless dimensional continents, and face no opposition!】

  Grimoire tried to boost Ryan's morale.

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